


On the Back of a Hurricane

by desertghost



Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: Background Sam/Stacey - Freeform, Beaches, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future, Hurricanes & Typhoons, Road Trips, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 09:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13051605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/desertghost/pseuds/desertghost
Summary: During a weekend at the beach with friends, Mary Anne realizes that she might have a seriousthingfor Charlie Thomas.  And it only gets worse when they’re unable to get home due to a hurricane...





	On the Back of a Hurricane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OzQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzQueen/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, OzQueen! I loved your letter and your prompts so much and couldn’t have asked for a better assignment for my first Yuletide. I hope you enjoy! <3 <3 <3

_From: Kristy Thomas <_ _kristy@kidkitbox.com_ _>_

_Subject: A Special Invitation_

_You, the humble recipient, are formally invited to celebrate Kristin Amanda Thomas’s official 25_ _ th _ _anniversary of live birth! The celebration will take place forthwith in Sea City, New Jersey, for the forthwith dates of Friday, August Twentieth - Sunday, August Twenty-Second.Sleeping accommodations generously sponsored by Watson and Elizabeth Brewer; the celebrant humbly requests that attendees please provide their own transportation.Formal room assignments to follow._

* * *

“Kristy,” Mary Anne says the next day on the phone, “This email is ridiculous.It sounds like a wedding invitation.Do you realize that you used the word _forthwith_ twice?”

“Does it?I was working off of what Karen used for her graduation announcements a few years ago.Claudia actually asked me if she needed to pack black-tie swimwear or if casual would be okay.”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t pick Shadow Lake.”

“Mom’s been renting out the Shadow Lake house on a vacation rental website and already has it rented during my birthday dates. Besides, Sea City is so much closer for most of us.I certainly don’t want to drive all the way to New Hampshire for just a weekend.I can't be too far away if things go wrong with this month's shipment.”Earlier this year, Kristy launched a subscription box service loosely based on the Kid-Kit; subscribers pay ten dollars a month and get a small box of children's toys and stickers made completely out of recycled materials. It was still under five hundred subscribers, but making a small profit since she kept costs low, and it was growing at a steady pace.“So you’re coming, right?”

“Kristy, I don’t know…”

“But Mary Anne, you _have_ to come!” Kristy cries over the other end of the phone line.It’s the sort of whine that Mary Anne can’t bear from any other adult, but it’s different coming from Kristy; Mary Anne knows she has good intentions, no matter how they’re expressed.“It won’t be the same without you!And Abby and Shannon already had to drop out!Abby is still practicing for National Team tryouts and Shannon is building wells down in Bolivia or something before starting the second year of her PhD.”

“I’m sorry, Kristy.I just spent so much money on Tigger’s last vet appointment, there’s no way I can afford to rent a car and head down there. Maybe if Stacey wants to carpool, I could swing half of a rental, but it would still be pretty tight -“

“Wait. Wait wait wait wait.What about Charlie?” Kristy interrupts.

“What about him?He lives in California.”

“No!I really didn’t tell you?He moved to New York back in March.He’s working production on Mets broadcasts now.He has his own car, you can ride with him!And Stacey, too! Another great idea,” she says.Mary Anne can’t see Kristy, but she can imagine the smile on Kristy’s face, the satisfied fist-pump.

“You want me… to ride with Charlie?”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“Kristy, I barely know Charlie.I’ve only seen him around your house at holidays. And neither does Stacey.”

“What’s there to know?You guys grew up together.Talk about old times.Talk about Kristy Thomas, the most important and lovable person in your respective lives.And I guess Stacey and Charlie can talk about… Sam?”

“I wish you could see me rolling my eyes right now, Kristy.”

“I’ll ask him and Stacey and then let you know, okay?Then you guys can all work out the details.I’m so excited!”

* * *

Kristy responds an hour later with a text saying that “Operation Thomas-Spier-McGill carpool is a go!”, followed by a second text containing Charlie’s phone number.

Truthfully - though she’d never dream of telling Kristy this - Mary Anne is a bit nervous about sharing a car with Charlie.Not because she doesn’t want to see him - but because of how much she does.

The first Christmas he came back from California, about four years ago, is permanently etched in her memory.Mary Anne had gone to the Thomas-Brewer household the day after Christmas to hang out with Kristy and partake in some of their fancy leftovers. He’d answered the door, tanned with hair naturally lightened by the sun and the kind of calf muscles you only get from regularly hiking long distances up mountain trails.He’d been accompanied by a gorgeous woman in expensive monochrome knitwear and a brand-new coat. Jordan?Josie?Mary Anne can’t remember her name, only that she was a personal trainer with expensive-looking blonde balayage highlights.She’d reminded Mary Anne of Dawn’s old friend Maggie, cool and blonde and sophisticated and worldly - traits that Mary Anne decidedly didn’t possess. 

She hadn’t said much to him, this intimidating, devastatingly handsome new Charlie.Instead, she’d mostly observed him. He was warm, funny, and courteous to his family members, willing to jump in any time someone needed help, whether it was Emily Michelle needing help with polynomial equations or Watson needing someone to help him lift his new antique desk out of the back of his van. And all the while, he’d been checking to make sure that Josie-or-Jordan was happy and comfortable with a room full of people who were mostly strangers to her.Mary Anne wonders what happened there.Did she break his heart?Did he break hers?

The next holiday he’d attended - Thanksgiving, two years later - he’d showed up alone.She’d gone to McLelland Road for a late dinner since her own family ate earlier in the day.Her heart had skipped a beat at the way he said “Hi” to her, the way the name “Mary Anne” sounded softer and rounded around the edges when he said it.She knew that Elizabeth was testing the waters to see if she could forge some sort of _there_ there - she’d not-so-subtly made sure that Mary Anne and Charlie were seated next to one another that night.But Mary Anne had spent most of that holiday weekend on the phone reassuring her boyfriend, with whom she was not quite at the meet-each-other’s-families stage, that she missed him and wished he were there. Though the realization that she really didn’t was what had caused their pre-Christmas breakup.

But now, she was going to be sharing a car with Charlie on two fairly long drives, to Sea City and back.Even though it wasn’t like they were going to be alone together, she was a little scared, a little nervous - but also very much looking forward to it. 

* * *

 Mary Anne waits for Charlie’s car at the bottom of her building’s stairs.She’s already said a tearful goodbye to Tigger and left a detailed list of instructions with her roommate for his care (“He’ll be fine, Mary Anne!”Emily had said.“Besides, you’ve taken care of Catthew McCalico so many times this year, the least I can do is return the favor!”).She knows that he and Stacey have to still be at least five minutes away with traffic, but she couldn’t spend another minute pacing around her apartment, checking and re-checking to make sure she’d packed every single thing she could possibly need. 

After checking the clock on her phone for the ninetieth time, a silver Subaru Outback slows in front of her building with a frantically waving blonde in the front seat.As the car stops, Stacey immediately opens her passenger door and stumbles a bit in her espadrilles as she reaches to hug Mary Anne. 

“You look fantastic,” Mary Anne says, while wrapping her friend in a solid hug.Stacey looks effortlessly beach beautiful, wearing a turquoise and dark blue batik-print maxi dress with her hair pulled into a loose french braid.Mary Anne feels a bit grubby in comparison - she’d put in an effort to look nice today, and was wearing an outfit that she thought looked good - a short-sleeved, daisy-print navy dress with a stitched-in empire waist and a flared skirt, with a pair of white slides.

“Here, let me throw that in the trunk.”

Mary Anne pulls away from Stacey to see Charlie picking up her small weekend bag from her feet, a chambray weekender duffel that was a gift from Dawn.He’s somehow more handsome in the summer sun, wearing a short-sleeved gray Mets t-shirt and jeans.His arms look fantastic - a benefit of having to carry around camera equipment all the time, she thinks. 

“Hi, Charlie,” she says in a voice that doesn’t even sound like her own, a small wave that doesn't feel like it belongs to her hand.  The words and gestures feel like they belong to someone younger, someone harboring a secret schoolgirl crush.Which she supposes isn't far off from the truth.

It’s going to be a long weekend.  

* * *

 “So Charlie, what do you do for work, exactly?” Stacey asks as they make their way down the turnpike.Now that school is back in session, there’s much less traffic heading down towards the shore, and the car is a smooth ride.“I know you work for the Mets in some capacity?Photography?”

“Digital video.You know those random shots of fans you see between pitches?Or the kiss cam?That’s my job.”

“That sounds fun,” Stacey says.“I haven’t been to a Mets game in so long.My dad’s more of a Yankees fan.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a merchandise planner at Bellair's.Basically I run calculations and advise our buyers on how much and what they can buy in order to maximize availability and return on investment.”

“She’s really good at it,” Mary Anne pipes up.“Her planning kept Bellairs from running out of this one type of ankle boot after it popped up on Victoria Kent’s instagram.Every other store was out, even online.”

“What about you, Mary Anne?” Charlie asks.

“Oh, Mary Anne has a great job!” Stacey says.“She’s saving the world.”

“I am not saving the world,” she blushes.“It’s not even that interesting.I’m just an event planner.Well, an assistant event planner.” 

“She puts on fundraisers for the cancer research organization she works for,” Stacey continues.“Last month that food and wine dinner you worked on raised an obscene amount of money.My dad said it was the most well-organized event that he and Sam had ever attended. But then, Mary Anne has always been well-organized.”

“It must run in the family," Charlie jokes, and Mary Anne jokingly hits the back of his seat in protest. "Seriously though, that’s really cool,” Charlie says, smiling into the rearview mirror.“It sounds like you’re really making a difference.”

“Well-“ Mary Anne begins to argue, but is interrupted by Stacey pointing at a sign.“Purple cow billboard!”

* * *

 The rest of the drive to Sea City is both familiar and unfamiliar; the roads are the same, but many of the mom-and-pop billboards on the highway have been replaced by ads for chains and big-box retailers.Mary Anne is worried that Sea City will be the same, over-commercialized and lacking in charm.

Her worries are assuaged, however, when Stacey shouts, “Oh my god, look!It’s Gurber Garden!”Though it has a fresh coat of paint on the outside, the sign advertises the same weird experience within.

“It says Burger Garden,” Charlie interrupts.“Did it used to be called Gerber?”

“Oh, no,” Mary Anne says.“One of our sitting charges, Claire, always used to call it that. It stuck.The employees have to dress like animals, it’s ridiculous.”

“And there’s the putt-putt course,” Stacey continues.“We’re definitely not going there.”

“And there’s the boardwalk,” Mary Anne says, pointing to a spot in the distance.She thinks about walking there as a teenager, first with Alex, then Logan, dates that were young and carefree and innocent.

“Turn right up here,” Stacey says.

The house Kristy has rented is cozy, smaller than the Pikes’ yearly cottage.It’s right on the beach, painted sea-foam green with a grey slanted roof, and a white door and white trim around two large, matching oceanside windows.There’s a smaller porthole window central to where the roof and awning meet, and a sizable porch surrounds the property, complete with a wooden swing for two facing the sea.Mary Anne knows from the description that Kristy forwarded via email that it has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and an eat-in kitchen with a stove.A car with Connecticut plates is already parked in front; Charlie parks behind it.

“I am _so_ ready for this after the week I’ve had,” Stacey says as they park.Charlie is hauling their luggage out of the trunk - Stacey’s enormous hardshell suitcase, Mary Anne’s more sensible bag, his own backpack.Mary Anne’s hand brushes his as he hands over the bag and even that small amount of contact feels absolutely super-charged.

_Pull yourself together, Mary Anne,_ she thinks. _You’re not a teenager._ It seemed that just being in Sea City was causing her to regress.She looks to Stacey to see if she noticed the way that Mary Anne flushed at even the slightest contact with Charlie, but Stacey’s already scanning the beach; Mary Anne follows Stacey’s line of sight to someone dark-haired and lean with perfect abs, and perhaps this weekend, in this place, they’re both allowed to feel like they did when they were thirteen.

The front door slams; Mary Anne looks up to see a short whirlwind in a t-shirt and shorts heading towards her, arms outstretched.  “MARY ANNE!”Kristy yells just before wrapping Mary Anne in a tight hug.It’s really been too long since they’ve seen each other in person; Mary Anne can feel herself starting to tear up.  She's gotten better about the waterworks, but there's just something about reunions that always gets to her.

“Hi, Kristy.”

"I am so, so, so, so, so happy to see you."Kristy moves on to Charlie as Claudia heads her way.One of her huge metal earrings gets caught in Mary Anne's hair and it takes a moment to get it extracted.She holds Mary Anne at arm's length, as though studying a painting."Earrings," she finally says."I need to make you a pair of earrings. Dangly ones."Claudia's wearing earrings of her own, giant hand-welded triangles with rectangles of multi-colored metal hanging down from the bottom of the triangles.She's wearing a pink men's oversized button-down shirt with alternating prints of birds and crossed arrows over a shimmering silver tank top, and a short pair of purple (or, as Claudia would say, marsala-colored) denim shorts.Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail over one shoulder, and she's wearing black gladiator sandals that criss-cross up her calves.

"Your earrings are amazing."

"Thank you!The Etsy store is really taking off since I took those welding classes at the Stoneybrook Hackerspace.And I'm doing four craft shows next month. _And_ I'm in talks with a few stores in Stoneybrook and Stamford to sell my stuff!" 

"That's incredible, Claud! I wear the most recent necklace you made me all of the time.  I get so many compliments on it."

"Awesome," Claudia grins.  "Hey, remember when we were here that one time and there was a hurricane?  Guess what they're predicting for Sunday?  A tropical storm that _might_ turn into a hurricane."  
  
"No way."  
  
"Well, it's not supposed to hit until late Sunday, so the six of us should all be gone by then."

"Who else is coming?"

"Just Sam.He's running a bit late.Kristy says he rented a BMW.  And he bought new clothes."  Claudia jerks a thumb back in Stacey's direction.  "Can't imagine who he's trying to impress here."

* * *

Mary Anne puts twenty-five candles on the cake that she spent hours baking the night before; a vanilla cake with buttercream frosting, one of Kristy's favorites.She'd even stopped by a specialty bakery near her work to pick up a dessert that Stacey could eat so that she wouldn't feel left out. 

_"Happy birthday to you,_  
_Happy birthday to you,_  
_Happy birthday dear Kristy…  
_ _Happy birthday to you!!!"_

No one in their group is a fantastic singer, but what they lack in talent they make up for in enthusiasm.

"Did you make this for Kristy?"Charlie asks after devouring three-fourths of a generously-sized piece in about two seconds."It’s incredible." 

"And," Kristy says, "she got me this!"Kristy holds up the mug that Mary Anne had had custom made for her combining all of Kristy's greatest loves: a Bernese Mountain Dog in a baseball cap saying "Get Shit Done".She had _howled_ with laughter upon opening it, before hugging Mary Anne and saying that it was one of the best things she had ever seen.

"Trivial Pursuit," Kristy says after the cake is finished and the dishes are cleared."Who wants to play?" Kristy asks."Charlie?"

"Sure, I'm in." 

"I don't know…" Claudia says."I'd just drag down a team.Unless there were art questions."

"You know more than you think," Stacey says.

Kristy nods."It's true.What if we do me, Stacey and Sam against Mary Anne, Claudia and Charlie?Those are pretty even teams."

Charlie is the best trivia team member anyone could ask for - he's not overbearing and doesn't get mad if someone has the wrong answer; he's not weirded out by Mary Anne's encyclopedic knowledge of Cam Geary movies to get the pink Entertainment pie piece.  He pumps his fist when he nails a particularly tough sports question involving someone Mary Anne has never heard of, but it's enough to make Kristy say, "I can't believe you got that right!"

They're in the right spot and can win if they get this final pie piece - Arts and Literature. 

"What is the name of the famous painting by René Magritte often referred to as 'This is Not a Pipe'?"  Stacey reads aloud.

Charlie and Mary Anne both look at Claudia helplessly.

"I know this," Claudia says."It's on the tip of my tongue."

"You've got this, Claud." Mary Anne pats Claudia's knee."I believe in you."

"Try to picture it in a book or museum instead of thinking about it," Charlie adds."Since you're a visual person."

Claudia's silent for a minute, playing with the end of her ponytail as she thinks and Mary Anne and Charlie wait patiently.Finally she leaps out of her chair, knocking over a beer in the process. 

" _The Treachery of Images_!" she yells.

"That's right," Sam says, reading over Stacey's shoulder.

Claudia whoops and Charlie does the same sort of finger-whistle that all members of the Thomas family are somehow magically born being able to do.Mary Anne just hugs Claudia."We couldn't have won without you."She also hugs Charlie in her excitement - for winning, for Claudia, for being part of a successful team with him - and he looks surprised but not displeased.

Kristy, on the other hand, looks quite concerned.

* * *

_He’s nice to everyone_ , Mary Anne thinks to herself as she brushes her teeth before bed. _You’re not being singled out.Just because you want something to happen doesn’t mean it’s going to happen._

_But what could even happen?He’s Charlie Thomas.Even if he’s interested, it’s not like you can just kiss him or hook up with him and get him out of your system.He’s always going to be around._

Kristy is unzipping her suitcase in the small bedroom the two of them are sharing for the weekend, but stops when Mary Anne walks in."Thank you for the cake.And the mug.And for just… for being here.It means a lot to me."

"It's nothing," Mary Anne says, and she means it.She'd move mountains for Kristy.

"Well, it's not nothing to me.Your friendship means a lot to me, okay?"

"Your friendship means a lot to me too, Kristy-"

"Are you interested in Charlie?" Kristy blurts out. 

"I might be?Is that okay?"

"I don't know."Kristy sits down on her bed, and Mary Anne sits next to her."I mean… my mom thinks it would be a good idea.And I can see it.You two are a lot alike."

"You think so?"

"But -" Kristy continues, "What if something bad happens?What if you start dating and then break up?Will you still be able to be around my family?Around me?"

"Of course I'd still be around you."Mary Anne's fiddling with the blanket underneath her, trying not to cry."Of course.You're my best friend."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"In that case…. Go for it.You have my blessing.Not that you needed it, but you know.  Just be careful, okay?"

Mary Anne pulls Kristy into a tight hug.  "Okay."  

* * *

When Mary Anne wakes up, Kristy’s still asleep in the next bed.The rest of the house is silent; it’s just past eight, still early.She zips a hoodie over her t-shirt and shorts and makes her way to the small kitchen.She’ll put coffee on for everyone at least, even though she doesn’t drink it. 

Much to her surprise, Charlie’s already awake, drinking a full aluminum tumbler of coffee, while something cooks on the stovetop behind him.

“Oh,” she says.“I didn’t think anyone else was awake.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s fine.”She peers into the pan.“Are those pancakes?Those look delicious.”

“Yeah,” he grins.“The secret is to add club soda.It makes them fluffier.Want some?”Mary Anne nods and grabs some plates from the dish-drying rack, handing them to Charlie, who plates the pancakes with a professional-looking syrup drizzle and a few strawberries.She bumps him slightly while pulling out a chair from the table; she blushes, but doesn’t stammer out an apology.After yesterday - the drive, the game, the talk with Kristy - she doesn’t feel quite so hesitant around him.

“You’ve lived in New York for how long?” Charlie asks before taking a big bite.

“A few years now.Since I graduated from college.”

“You probably know a lot about the city.You’ll have to show me around sometime.I don’t get out much outside of work.”

“I could do that,” Mary Anne says, thinking about different places where she could take him. The hole-in-the-wall deli ten blocks east of her apartment... her apartment... 

“I haven’t even been to Central Park yet.”

“Did you know it’s almost six times larger than the country of Monaco?” The fact comes out of Mary Anne’s mouth automatically; she mentally kicks herself. _Walking guidebooks aren’t sexy!_

“Uh, no, I didn’t.But that’s very cool.See? You do know a lot.And I like hearing stuff like that.Bits of trivia about places.It’s fun.Gives it context.”

She breathes a sigh of relief.“I like learning as much about a place as I can.It’s sort of - a thing I’ve always done. Some people don’t like it.”

“Well, I do,” Charlie grins.“You can be my personal tour guide.I’ll listen to all the facts.We’ll go lots of different places.”

The knowledge that what Charlie is saying sounds suspiciously like dating - making plans to see each other in the future repeatedly - is not lost on Mary Anne.Could it be possible that he's into her, too?

* * *

Mary Anne’s not as excited about being out in the sun as everyone else - she’s glad that big beach hats are in style now, that sunscreen has advanced light years beyond where it was when she was a teenager hiding in a gigantic caftan.Still, she’s wearing a sensible retro-style one-piece suit in black, prepared to spend most of the hours of sun reading with a few breaks for short swims.

“I like this,” Charlie says, standing at the foot of the beach blanket she's sharing with Stacey.

“Like what?” Mary Anne asks cautiously, nervously.

“Your swimsuit,” he says.“It’s very pin-up girl, with the big hat and the big sunglasses.Cool look.”

“Oh,” she says."Thanks."He starts to walk away, but Mary Anne says, "Wait. Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you help me put some sunscreen on my back?"She hears a slight _thunk_ in the sand next to her - Stacey has dropped the book she was reading.

"Sure," he says, thankfully not questioning why she didn't just ask Stacey.

There's not much to cover, just the pale plane of skin around the neck of her halter and the top third of her upper back.Charlie sits cross-legged behind her as she hands him the tube of SPF 70 sunscreen.His touch against her skin is gentle, but more firm than she expected; he rubs the sunscreen in and she feels like she is absolutely going to die, right there on a beach blanket next to the ocean.But then he stops, hands back the sunscreen, and walks away.

“You know, If I’d known the Thomas men could possibly turn out to be so good-looking as adults, I might have tried harder with Sam years ago,” Stacey quips after Charlie goes.

“Seems like you wouldn't have to try that hard now.”Mary Anne opens her book.

“How long has Charlie been this hot?I mean, he was cute when he was in high school, but it seems like California really did him some good.”

“About four years,” Mary Anne says with a sigh.

Stacey sits up."Wait, you've been into him for that long?"Mary Anne nods."Well, might I make a suggestion?Make more moves like that one.I think he's really into you."

* * *

The six of them hit the boardwalk after dinner.It's less populated than Mary Anne remembers it being.It’s an interesting crowd - a few families walking around, several older couples, a lot of teens either in loud, sizable groups or paired off on dates.

Sam claims that he's absolutely, one hundred percent going to win "at least ten" prizes; he wins zero.  Kristy, with her cannon of an arm, knocks over enough milk bottles to win both Mary Anne and Claudia stuffed bears.  Not to be outdone, Charlie wins Mary Anne a hideous stuffed fish from the ring toss. Claudia takes pictures of the six of them, often setting a timer to include herself, smiling and laughing as they walk around and pose outside of ridiculous places like Crabs for Grabs or the shuttered, eerie-looking Tunnel of Luv.About halfway through the evening, their group of six very obviously becomes a group of four but no one says anything about Stacey and Sam's absence. 

It's the most fun Mary Anne has had in a long time, just being able to relax and be herself around people who've known her forever.They get scoops of ice cream and Mary Anne pays for Charlie's since it's cash-only.The four of them sit on the sidewalk outside, talking and laughing over cookies-and-cream and mint chocolate chip, and Mary Anne thinks about how no matter how life turns out, she'll absolutely remember this night forever - the way her friends laughed, the way the ice cream tasted, the way Charlie's eyes crinkled when he smiled.

* * *

Mary Anne's packing up her bag early on Sunday morning when there's a knock on her door.Stacey.

“Hey.So… I’m going to ride back with Sam.”

“What?He doesn’t live in New York.”

“We were thinking I’d… stay the night at his place and just take the train from Stamford on Monday morning,” she says, blushing. 

“Does Kristy know?”

“Claud will fill her in.Not on everything, that would be weird.You’re okay riding back with Charlie by yourself, right?” Stacey nudges Mary Anne in the ribs.“Eh?Eh?”

“Oh, stop it.”

“Feel free to copy my plan!”

* * *

The others - Stacey and Sam, Claudia and Kristy - are all well on their way out of Sea City by noon.  Charlie and Mary Anne have volunteered to stay behind to wait for the realtor so that Kristy can get back to Stoneybrook for a belated birthday dinner with Elizabeth and Watson.  The two of them wait in the empty house, bags packed.  The realtor is supposed to show up at one-thirty, but she fails to arrive.

"She's not answering her phone," Charlie says.  "I hope she gets here soon."

The two of them begin reading each other questions off of random trivial pursuit cards to pass the time, giving one point for every correct answer.  Mary Anne's winning 51-49 when Ellen Cooke finally shows up around three-thirty, with a pick-up truck full of wooden slat boards and two additional crew members whom she instructs to board up all of the windows in the rental cottage.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," she says.  "They've upgraded the status of the tropical storm to a hurricane.  I've been boarding up rental properties all morning.  You guys might want to get on the road as soon as possible."

* * *

Mary Anne is regretting her offer to drive Charlie's car part of the way.

In mid-New Jersey, the rain ceases to be a light drizzle and begins coming down louder, harder; Mary Anne can no longer hear the radio – it’s buried by the small cracks of freezing rain against the windshield and hood.She turns the windshield wipers up to their highest setting, grips the steering wheel a little tighter, sets her eyes to focus through the grayness of the storm in front of her.Always a very careful driver, she hasn’t been behind the wheel of a car much since moving to New York.

Charlie reaches toward the radio, turning the volume knob up between his thumb and forefinger.“…A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the following counties until 1:00 AM: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May…”

“Ugh,” Mary Anne says.“That’s where we are.”

The radio continues.“65 mile-per-hour wind gusts and quarter-sized hail… strong possibility to be upgrade to a Hurricane Warning for lower counties... for your protection stay off of the road unless ordered to evacuate... stay tuned to WILW for continued weather updates…”

“Should we pull off the road?”

“I think we’ll have to,” Charlie says. Mary Anne sees the flashes of red and blue lights.“There must be an accident up ahead.  The road's closed, they’re directing everyone to exit the Parkway.”

“Oh no,” Mary Anne says.

“I wonder if we should just stop for a while.”

“You mean, like get a hotel?” Mary Anne blurts out.Spending the night with Charlie Thomas had not been part of Mary Anne’s plans.This was supposed to be a short drive back into the city, which was usually no more than three hours with peak traffic.

Charlie looks stunned.“I meant more like ‘find a diner and try to wait it out’,” he says slowly, “but… since it’s not going to let up until after midnight, you might be on to something. It’s not like we can turn back, and we’ll be taking a lot of back roads to get back into the city.”

Mary Anne’s knuckles are white against the steering wheel; her fingers ache from how tightly she’s been holding it.She certainly didn’t want to drive any further.“Okay.”She pauses to think.“I’ll text Kristy.You know, if I remember correctly, there should be a Howard Johnson’s off this exit if we turn left at the end of the ramp…”

* * *

 The Howard Johnson’s lobby is no-frills and nondescript, and a few hints nod at the history of its heyday; the eaves stretching across the high ceiling, stained the color of light oak; the brass chandelier with black scrapes showing underneath the chipped paint.There’s a small desk at the front of the lobby, empty.Charlie rings the bell to signal an attendant.After about a minute, a tired woman emerges from a back room.

“Can I help you?”she says.

Charlie clears his throat.“Yes, I was wondering if you had any hotels rooms left?With two beds, please,” he adds quickly, not looking at Mary Anne.

“I’m pretty sure we’re sold out for the night, but let me check the computer for cancellations…” She taps away at her keyboard, looking into an ancient monitor that had long outlived its purpose in anything besides legacy industries.“You’re in luck, it looks like we had a cancellation due to the storm… Only one queen, though.Rate is $79, not including taxes or fees, but I can give it to you for $59.”

Charlie looks at Mary Anne, saying nothing, waiting for her to either give the go-ahead for a single bed or come up with another alternative.Mary Anne can still hear the hail clanking against the pavement outside.She’s not familiar with the area, and doesn’t know of any hotels around here other than this one, which she only knows from stopping for ice cream with the Pikes on their Sea City trips so many years ago. She could look for an alternative on her phone, but that would mean taking the time to call other hotels, getting back in the car, driving to another parking lot…

“That’s fine,” Mary Anne says in a voice barely above a whisper. 

“Are you sure?” Charlie says.

“Yes,” she says, so loudly that it startles her. She opens her purse and begins to dig for her wallet.“Can we do half on my card?”

Charlie gently puts his hand over Mary Anne’s before she’s able to pull the wallet out. “Don’t worry about it.I’ve got it.”Mary Anne raises an eyebrow for him.“You bought me ice cream, remember?I’ll get this.”

“The ice cream was only three dollars.”

“You drove through the toughest part of the storm.Like a pro, even.”

“In your car.”

“Buy breakfast tomorrow and we’ll call it even?”

“Well… okay,” Mary Anne says.She’s still a bit shell-shocked at the thought of spending the night with Charlie - with this rugged, devastatingly handsome version of Charlie that she’d had trouble reconciling with the Charlie she’d known all her life.She’s certain that he can hear the sound of her heart beat in time with the staccato notes of the raging storm.

* * *

Their room is on the second floor.It’s clean and spartan, with a bright bolt pillow at the head of the bed being one of the few pops of color.There’s a mid-size television on a mid-size wall unit made of dark wood.A small desk in a corner has a touch-tone phone and a small placard with the wi-fi username and password embossed on the front. 

“It’s only seven-thirty,” Charlie says, setting down their bags.“Are you hungry?”

Now that the realization that she is spending the night with Charlie Thomas - sharing a bed with _Charlie Thomas_ \- has fully kicked in, she’s not hungry in the least .It’s all she can think about.Should she wear her regular pajamas or sleep in her clothes?She normally sleeps on her right side, so she’ll need to position herself on the side of the bed furthest from the window so that she’s not facing him all night -

“Mary Anne?”

“Oh!” She’s snapped back into reality.“I could eat something, if you’re hungry.But I don’t think there’s a restaurant here.”If he’s feeling as strange as Mary Anne currently does, she can’t tell.

“There’s probably a vending machine somewhere.Want me to go check?” 

Charlie leaves and returns a few minutes later with two bags of plain Lay’s potato chips and two 4-packs of Oreos.“Other people at the hotel must have had the same idea as us.Slim pickings in there.”

“It's wonderful," she says.She's going to start leaning into this ridiculous situation and make the best of it."It reminds me of this time I was babysitting during a huge snow storm and the power went out and the kids ate ice cream for breakfast because there was no other food and the ice cream absolutely could not melt."

Charlie laughs."Good kid logic, there."

He smiles at her.

She smiles back at him.

He looks at her lips.

She looks at his lips.

And then the power goes out.

It's like a spell has been broken; Mary Anne tries not to audibly sigh at the missed opportunity, but it's hard.  God, is it hard.

* * *

Mary Anne decides to act as normal as possible, and not as though she's getting into bed with Charlie Thomas in the absolute darkest of dark.She brushes her teeth for a full two minutes, just as she did when she was younger and her dad was watching her and keeping track with the second-hand of the hall clock.She washes, tones, and moisturizes her face by phone flashlight, and she wears her regular summer pajamas – a thin tank-top and a pair of soft cotton shorts with an elastic waistband.

Charlie, polite enough to let Mary Anne use the bathroom first, is sitting on the bed reading something on his phone when Mary Anne finishes up.He silently nods before picking up his dopp kit and heading towards the bathroom.Mary Anne turns down the covers on her side of the bed and slips inside quickly, before Charlie’s finished, picking up her phone to send an email to her boss - _caught in huge storm returning from Sea City, probably won’t be back until Monday around noon, so I’m going to be working from home tomorrow afternoon, let me know if you have any questions!_

When she puts her phone down, and her eyes adjust back to the dark, Charlie’s removing his shirt.

Obviously she saw Charlie shirtless several times this weekend - that’s a thing that happens when you’re at the beach with a guy - but this was different, more intimate, feeling like it was just for her and no one else.He catches Mary Anne looking shocked.“I can leave my clothes on if that would make you more comfortable?” she thinks she catches the hint of a smile on his face.It’s slightly infuriating.

“No, just sleep how you normally sleep,” she says breezily, as though she’s done this a dozen times, in a way that she imagines that someone more sophisticated would.Her mind flits to Stacey's old friend Laine for whatever reason.

The shirt hits the floor. She swallows, hard, at the sight of Charlie’s bare chest.

Charlie looks almost apologetic.“Uh,” he coughs.“I don’t have any pajama pants or anything like that.I usually sleep in my underwear.But I can leave my shorts on, if you’re uncomfortable…”

“I’m fine,” Mary Anne says, in a tone that she hopes is even and normal-sounding.She’s fine.She’s more than fine.Never better.“Just sleep like you normally do.” 

Charlie nods and turns his back to her as he removes his shorts, revealing boxer-briefs underneath, and Mary Anne can’t help but stare at his upper thighs.She snaps her gaze away as he begins to turn around, looking at freckles on her arm as though they're the most interesting thing on the planet.

The sheets rustle as Charlie lifts them up, slipping in to his side of the bed.Ever the gentleman, he’s as far to the side of his bed as he can possibly be without hanging off the side of it.Mary Anne’s not sure if she’d feel better or worse if he moved closer.

“Well… good night,” Mary Anne says before rolling over to face the wall.

“Good night,” Charlie parrots back.

Mary Anne lies in the dark, hardly moving.Her right shoulder begins to ache, but she doesn't switch positions.  She knows she’s not going to be able to sleep a wink tonight. 

She thinks about playing trivia, eating breakfast, their night on the boardwalk - how easy and natural it felt to be with him, how surprisingly relaxed she was.She’d been relaxed around him up until they ended up sharing a bed. Now she just felt electricity.It wouldn’t be so strong unless he felt it too, right?

“Mary Anne?Are you awake?” 

Mary Anne rolls over to face Charlie.“Yeah… I can’t sleep.”

“Me neither.Must have had too much coffee earlier or something.”

“I’ve never liked coffee,” Mary Anne whispers.“My dad always said it would stunt my growth.I still don’t know if that’s true, or if it’s just something he said because he was so strict.”

“That’s a real thing,” Charlie says.“But I don’t know if it’s true.”

“Not sure anything could have stunted my growth more.”

“It’s funny how genetics work.David Michael’s taller than any of us.But it’s hard to see him as not just a seven-year-old kid.”

She wonders if that’s how Charlie sees her; as some kid.  She doesn't think so, not now. 

“I can’t believe he’s in college now,” Mary Anne says instead of voicing her thoughts.  She decides to change the subject.  “Why did you decided to move back to the East Coast?”

“I missed the family.I always felt guilty for leaving, even though I always knew I wanted to live in California for a little while.But being so far away from them made me feel like… like my dad.”

“You’re nothing like Patrick,” Mary Anne whispers quickly, emphatically. She puts a hand on his forearm."Nothing."And it was true - Patrick hadn't cared about other people, he hadn't been kind and considerate and responsible and loyal in the way that Charlie was.

Charlie’s quiet on the other side of the bed.

"Thank you," he finally whispers."I needed to hear that.Thank you."

He doesn't say anything else.Mary Anne waits, but falls asleep soon after, hand still on Charlie's arm.

* * *

Mary Anne’s dreams that night are so passionate, so vivid: dreams of strong arms and truths whispered to each other in the dark.It feels so real, so close… as she half-wakes up, she settles closer into the warmth beside her, the shape that has shifted through the night to be at her side, who lazily wraps an arm around her waist.

The arm is what brings Mary Anne back to reality.She knows she should get up, she should say something, she should apologize - but then Charlie rolls over and her arm is pinned underneath his torso, and she can’t move.

“Um, Charlie?My arm’s falling asleep.”

Charlie opens his eyes - have they always been so dark? - and gives her a lazy, sleepy smile as he sits up.“Good morning,” he whispers in a voice still rough around the edges from slumber.

“Oh my Lord,” Mary Anne says, channeling her inner Claudia.“I’m so sorry, really - “

“Mary Anne.It’s okay.Really.”

She breathes out."Okay."

"Look," he says, pointing at the gap between the curtains."The sun's out.No more storms."

* * *

Sure enough, there's no evidence of the previous evening’s rain left in the sky, now blue and cloudless; if not for the droplets on the car, or the glistening asphalt in the parking lot, Mary Anne could easily believe that the last twelve hours were some kind of madness-induced hurricane dream.  According to the radio, the hurricane turned course and fizzled out in the ocean, thankfully doing minimal damage.

“What do you have to do today?” Charlie asks as they drive.He hasn't said much on their way back into the city, but neither has Mary Anne; she's trying to figure out what, if anything, to say or do next.Time seems to be moving so much faster now that it's almost time for them to separate.

“Once I get back, you mean?” _Good one, Mary Anne, what else could he mean?_

“Yeah.”

“Work, mostly.Emails and phone calls.We have a big fundraising event Labor Day weekend.I'm going to be so behind.”She shudders to think about the state of her work inbox after not checking it for a few days.“What about you?”

“I'm off today, so I don’t really have anything to do.”

“Mmm.”They’re in Hoboken now, with lighter traffic than usual.Almost back to the city.Back to reality.Back to barely knowing one another, unless one of them makes a move.Mary Anne's not sure she's brave enough for it to be her.

* * *

The Subaru comes to a stop outside of Mary Anne's apartment building after no fewer than three attempts at parallel parking. "Well… here we are," Charlie says quietly as he turns off the engine.He makes no move to get out of the car.Mary Anne wonders if he'll just say "goodbye" and drive away as though nothing has happened.

"Can you help me get my bag?" she asks, though she's perfectly capable of getting it herself. 

"Sure."

He lifts the bag out of the trunk with ease and gently sets it down on the curb.

"Hey, I - " she says at the same time that Charlie begins to speak.

"You first," Mary Anne says, facing him.They're standing so close together, less than a foot apart.

"…thank you.For what you said last night.It meant a lot coming from you.Because you've known me forever and you know what happened and you're just such a good person, just so innately good and kind to everyone, and I want you to know that meant it when I said I'd be interested in a tour guide sometime.And…" Charlie's voice trails off as he looks at Mary Anne.

"And?" she says, reaching up to touch his face.She lets her fingers rest on his cheek as she looks at him, _really_ looks at him, into those kind eyes that crinkle around the edges when he smiles; she knows that every good thought, every feeling she's had about him this weekend is there in her eyes, unprotected and open, for him to see.

"Mary Anne," he says, in that voice that makes her heart jump, the one that makes her name sound softer and rounded around the edges. 

She takes a deep breath and, standing on her tiptoes, gently pulls Charlie's face down to hers.

The kiss is gentle at first.Slow yet solid, tentative and new.Yet it also feels familiar, both a conclusion and a beginning.Charlie wraps his arms around her and deepens the kiss, gasping as she pulls him closer by hooking her fingers around his belt.

"Wow," Charlie says when they finally part, breathless and wide-eyed.

"Yeah, wow."

"Maybe I could help you bring this bag inside?"

Mary Anne groans, leaning into his shoulder."As much as I'd love for you to come in… I really do have to work this afternoon."She knows that being productive is going to be a near-impossible task, now, but she has to at least try.

"So responsible."

"Just like you." 

He kisses the top of her head."Maybe I can come back later?Bring over some take-out… and we can talk?"

"Yeah," Mary Anne says with a bright, dazed smile that she's pretty sure can be seen all the way back in Sea City."We'll talk."


End file.
